RETURNED SOLDIERS’ ASSN.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3544, 4 August 1920, Page 4

RETURNED SOLDIERS’ ASSN.

I V QUARTERLY GENERAL } _ MEETING. 1 -—-r- - 1 The quarterly general meeting of’ =the Taihape and District Returned Soldiers’ Association was held last ‘night, when only about twenty members attended. The President, Mr L. 313. Noriss, occupied the cliair. % The secretmjv reporten on the operlations of the Association during his: ‘twelve months of office, and explained I’ what had abeen done in the way of’ ‘organising and financing the Associa--

tion. The membership had been’ increased from seventy to 3502 and in! spite of the increased expenditure in--curred bytlie payment of a secretary, the increased capitation on membership, and in other directions, there Was. still a sa.ti.sfact:oi-_v credit balance at the bank. An audited statement was being prepared up" till the‘ 12th August, the date of the last annual audit, and ‘would be presented’ later. Referring to pensions, the secretary" stated tiiat.a great deal of his: time had been occupied in represent» ing claims for pensions on behalf of soldiers and dependents. He -had made it a rule that he had to he sat.isfied that. a claim was genuine before he represented it, and he was ‘pieasea to be able to say that the Pensions Board had not turned down {a single claim represented througl:-1 the Taihape Association. A great deal of the correspondence during his term had also been in connectionwith war gratuities on behalf of sold» icrs and the dependents of deceased‘ roldiers, whilst correspondence relatin_s; to retrospective allowances had" 2].-.=o ocrtupied a great deal of time. Some of the applications made for’ pensions had been turned down when represented by the individual. but

iwhen taken up and rep)-esveuted by the !.-\ssociation the claims had been relconsidered ’ and granted. One man ‘had made an effort to secure a pension and had failed, but when his case was represented by the R.S..\_, the Board granted the application, paid him the sum of £52 in one instalment. and renewed his pension at {the rate of ‘£l per week for 3. further ‘twelve months. The efforts of the {Association with rega.r<.l to land sot,tlement had not been entirely satisfactory. and with the exception of a few small pm~chases. the only “Uls which had, been acquired was‘ Ul6‘ Otamakapua Block at 0l1i21g81'“- ”" which nine men were being settledThe se-:retar_\-‘was appffiflted for a‘ further term of twelve months.

I Ml‘ P. A. de Loren was 91€’Cf9d Wo9‘ Dresident in place of Mr S. Hamill, [Who has left the district and Mes.=rs (A. E. Joiblin, J. 12. Johnston. and F. !\Vhito xvere elected to fill three vacinncies on the conimittee. Ti was" decided that in me opinion of the meefing an- cavifafion tie the dish-icf fund should not exceed sixpence per‘ member. and Hie delegate ‘to the District Conference at Palmersgtmx North was insn‘:l(-ted to support iany pi-orow‘. ‘ro Hiaif effect. I The delegate was also instructed "to adv-'oc:~.tr~ ‘hnf no commission be 'D'(’.il.'!l'f_l‘(‘d 0“ “‘«oD(‘,\' 01.‘-1.7613 iecued in 51-eturlied soldiers for I“-‘.1).'13"‘.‘.¢?I1fvnf {loan instalments to the Repatriation {Department i If Was expiailwd that no commisjsion charged on lu’Cna_V (')l'd¢3}'g PM-. gable to the I-Zeceiver of Land Revenue iin connection with 1-epa}'n‘mnts under like D.S.S. _/Let’, the Advafiees to. Set--tfers Act, and the Adv'afnces to Work. iers’ Act, and that is ~.:-rs; -~«.«:~,n1-;:1T_v ;rconsiderc-(1 "n"" 1-npggfi-inetion vmpr--r. !'mr2nts should also be (’.-‘~I(‘-I':‘:jf!i‘ o’-rwv-E.

tally as the rate had just been in‘creased. I It was decided that the date of the annual ball be altered to 22nd Sep- . rte‘ ‘"1 *O-1-dew: to 2‘-.'.’:.)‘}(7i clashing with the ~., \ ball on 17th September. Mel’s who had recently been in militai hospitals contended that soldiers under treatfnent had ‘to pay for having their ‘b06125 repaired while in hospital. The delegate was instructed to represent the matter at the District Conference. V

It was resolved that a Venetian Ball be held in the Town Hall in Oct’obel'/, the proceeds to be devoted to'the Public Hospital funds for the «'constl'u'ction of a tennis court. '